The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya
Director: Isao Takahata
Voice Cast: Chole Grace Mortez, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu,
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Retail: $34.98
ASIN: B00PHSDS0E
Running Time: 2hrs 18mins
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
Arriving on Blu-ray today, Tuesday February 17, 2015, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the critically acclaimed Japanese anime The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya. The film is produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Isao Takahata. The American dubbed version features the voices of Chole Grace Mortez, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Hynden Walch, James Marsden, Beau Bridges, Dean Cain, Oliver Platt, Daniel Da Kim, George Segal, John Cho, Emily Bridges and Liam O'Brien. Bonus Features include: "Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya" - 86-minute documentary on the making of The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, Announcement of the Completion of the Film, Japanese Trailers & TV Spots and US Trailers.

The film has received a 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has won several awards, including Best Animated Feature awards at the Toronto Film Critics Association, 40th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, 35th Boston Society of Critics Awards, 36th Mill Valley Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, 8th Asia Pacific Screen Award and the 68th Mainichi Film Awards. It has been nominated for Best Animated Feature Film for the 87th Academy Awards.

Based on the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya tells the story about a bamboo cutter Sanuki no Miyatsuko (voiced by James Caan), who discovers a miniature girl inside of a glowing bamboo. He brings the girl home to his wife, Ona (voiced by Mary Steenburgen), and names her "Princess." They are shocked when the miniature girl magically turns into an infant.

As the days pass by, Princess (voiced by  Chole Grace Mortez) grows extremely fast and before long she starts hanging out with the children in the village, whom gives her the name "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo)! She develops a close relationship with her friend Sutemaru.

Pom Poko
Director: Isao Takahata
Voice Cast: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Clancy Brown, J.K. Simmons, Tress MacNeille, Kevin Michael Richardson
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Retail: $35.99
ASIN: B00PYAE2IM
Running Time: 119
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time in the United States is the 1994 Japanese anime Pom Poko. The film is directed by Isao Takahata and features the American voice cast of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Clancy Brown, J.K. Simmons, Tress MacNeille and Kevin Michael Richardson. Bonus Features include the Original Japanese Storyboards and the Original Japanese Trailers.

Pom Poko takes on the Japanese folklore - the tanuki, intelligent raccoon dogs that can transform into any almost anything imaginable. The film begins in 1960, a time when the raccoons are living in an area called the Tama Hills, but their land is being destroyed by the development of houses and shopping malls. The raccoons find it harder and harder to find food and shelter, so they decide to adapt to their changing environment. 

By the time the raccoons enter the 1990s, they have perfected the art of transformation, so they can appear as humans. Their original attempt was to scare off the humans, but they will eventually learn how to balance their lives with the modern world.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a 2010 animated Japanese film based on the award winning novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton. It was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and produced by Studio Ghibli. After a successful run in Japan, and winning the Animation of the Year Award at the 34 Japan Academy Price, it was released in the Untied States by Walt Disney Pictures in early 2012. Disney’s release had an American dub with the voices of Bridgit Mendler, David Henrie, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett.

A boy named Shawn is sent to live with his great aunt Jessica’s, the same house his mother had grew up in. Shawn’s parents are busy with work and don’t have the time to take care him. He is going to have  heart in a few weeks and needs to rest. His mother told him about the little people who live in the walls, of course Shawn thinks it was just a story, but he was wrong.